Cliftonville transfer window review
- Published
2024-25 league position: 7th
Manager: Jim Magilton
Next five fixtures: Carrick Rangers (A) - 6 September; Ballymena United (H) - 13 September; Dungannon Swifts (A) - 20 September; Portadown (H) - 27 September; Glentoran (H) - 4 October
It was another summer of upheaval and rebuilding at Cliftonville, but probably not on the scale they hoped.
The calibre of players they could bring in to improve upon a disappointing campaign last season was hindered by the protracted takeover, which has not happened yet, so the Reds were unable to splash the cash in this transfer window.
They have had to rely mainly on free transfers and loan deals and contend with again losing some of their best players with the likes of Shea Kearney and Axel Piesold moving on and promising young players Coran Madden and Shay Reid going across the water.
The only player they paid a fee for, forward Rhyss Campbell, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee against former side Coleraine and is already out for the season.
A number of young players have been brought in from England with the likes of Adebayo Fapetu, Tom Lavery and Darien Wauchope showing glimpses already and they could thrive under Jim Magilton, who has a knack for unearthing young talents.
PJ Morrison has also impressed in goal since being handed the chance to start, but the squad lacks pace and the creative burden looks set to fall on the shoulders of captain Rory Hale with the goal scoring one still firmly on Joe Gormley despite a raft of strikers now at the club.
2025-26 signings so far: Conor Falls (Huddersfield Town), PJ Morrison (Alloa Athletic), Conor Barr (Derry City, loan), Rhyss Campbell (Coleraine), Adebayo Fapetu (unattached), Tom Lavery (Sunderland, loan), Darien Wauchope (Mansfield Town), Brandon Bermingham (Dungannon Swifts, loan)
2025-26 departures so far: Ruaidhri Donnelly (Newington), Declan Breen (Ballymena), Destiny Ojo (unattached), Kris Lowe (Glenavon), Arran Pettifer (Arbroath), Ryan Markey (unattached), Stephen McGuinness (Bangor), Axel Piesold (end of loan, Galway United), David Odumosu (Cork City), Shea Kearney (Dunfermline), Sean Stewart (Sligo Rovers), Reece Jordan (Loughgall, loan), Shay Reid (Preston North End), Coran Madden (Brentford)